With Christmas right around the corner, families may be worried about all the higher spending associated with this time of year.

In fact, research from digital offers marketplace, RetailMeNot, along with the Centre for Retail Research, shows Brits will spend more than £800 on average per household.

However, festive spending at this level is particularly worrying given that we are likely to have an expensive winter ahead, as the cost of living is expected to rise even further.

“Although inflation has fallen, the cost of food, fuel and energy are expected to continue rising over the coming months,” said Hannah Maundrell from Money.co.uk . “There could be challenging times ahead.”

With this in mind, it’s well worth taking steps now to boost your bank balance in the run-up to December 25.

The good news is, there are plenty of simple things you can do which will give you some extra cash in your pocket at this expensive time of year.

Switch your current account

New banks come with added cash these days (Image: Getty)

A simple way to get hard cash into your account quickly and easily is by switching your bank account.

“If you use the dedicated switching service, you can get £100 by making the move to Halifax,” said Andrew Hagger, finance expert at Moneycomms.

“The bonus should be in your account by the time the switch has completed. This is probably the only current account switching offer where you’re likely to get the £100 bonus in time for Christmas.”

However, the TSB offer is only open to those who switch via Moneysupermarket.com and is only set to run until December 11.

“There are some great cash incentives out there for switching your current account,” said Damien Fahy, finance expert from Moneytothemasses.com.

“The trouble is, you won’t necessarily receive the cash in time for Christmas. A more viable alternative might by the M&S current account, where you get a £100 gift card after making the switch. If you move fast, you could get the card in time to buy the turkey for Christmas.”

Read More

Get a new credit card

While you may be planning on switching debts to a new credit card in the New Year, why not do it now – and reap a reward while doing so?

“If you apply for a Nuba card and switch a balance of at least £1,000, you will get a free £20 Amazon gift voucher with three or four days,” said Hagger.

“There are two Nuba deals to choose from. The first is a 41-month balance transfer card (with a 3.29% balance transfer fee), or a card offering 26 months at 0% on purchases and balance transfers (with a 2.95%fee).”

eBay seller tips

If you’ve got old tech, you could raise some cash for Christmas by selling gadgets through a site such as Musicmagpie.co.uk .

“Not many people realise they could be sitting on a goldmine,” said the site’s Liam Howley. “Phones, tablets, games consoles and laptops can be worth more than you think.”

With Musicmagpie.co.uk , you can get an instant price for your gadgets, and send your tech for free.

People will pay good money for old phones (Image: Getty)

You will then get paid on the same day that items arrive. Prices for popular items include £350.10 for an iPhone 6s (128GB), £210 for an Xbox One S 2TB, and £133 for an iPad 4 (64GB).

Another useful site if you’re looking to flog an old mobile is Sellmymobile.com. This comparison site will search the web for the best deal and is worth a visit, as the difference between the best and worst offers can be huge.

If you’ve got CDs and DVDs to shift, try a site such as Ziffit.com, and if you’re looking to get rid of old books, visit Webuybooks.co.uk .

Equally, if you don’t want to sell stuff online, why not go old-school and hold a car boot sale?

Hagger said: “You can easily pocket between £50 and £100 for just a few hours of your time.”

Read More

Complete online surveys

There are now a host of sites where you can take part in surveys – and you could even do this in your lunch break.

“It is possible to earn up to £50 a month doing surveys online,” said Fahy. “To get started, try sites such as Swagbucks, Surveys.co.uk or Ipsos.”

But as a general rule, never pay to be a member of a survey site.

Also check how and when you are likely to be paid, as each site is different.

Search for “lost” accounts

(Image: Barcroft Media)

While the idea of losing track of your hard-earned cash may sound bizarre, figures suggest up to £15billion of unclaimed financial assets in the UK lie in old bank accounts, pensions, life assurance and investments.

If you think you might have savings or premium bonds sitting idle, a good starting point is Mylostaccount.org.uk .

“If you are lucky, your search might land you a windfall,” said Fahy. “But the process can take over three months, so you might have to wait until the New Year for this cash to arrive in your account.”

Check you are claiming all the benefits you are entitled to

Recent statistics from the Department of Work and Pensions and HM Revenue and Customs show that around £16 billion in welfare benefits goes unclaimed each year.